Apparatus for charging an image transfer surface
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsOmer Gila, Michael H. Lee, Seongsik Chang
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Abstract
An apparatus for charging an image transfer surface in an image transfer device includes a support member and a conductive polymer material surrounding an outer periphery of the support member. An inner portion of the conductive polymer material is loaded with a supplemental conducting agent, and an outer portion of the conductive polymer material is substantially free of the supplemental conducting agent.
Claims27
An apparatus for contact charging an image transfer surface in an image transfer device, comprising:
- a support member;
- and
- a conductive polymer material surrounding an outer periphery of the support member,
- wherein an inner portion of the conductive polymer material is loaded with a supplemental conducting agent and an outer portion of the conductive polymer material is substantially free of the supplemental conducting agent,
- wherein the conductive polymer material includes an ionic conduction agent and the supplemental conducting agent includes an electronic conduction agent such that the inner portion of the conductive polymer material includes the ionic conduction agent and the electronic conduction agent, and the outer portion of the conductive polymer material includes the ionic conduction agent and is substantially free of the electronic conduction agent.
An electrophotographic device comprising:
- a photoconductor surface for creating an image thereon;
- and
- a charge roller for electrically charging the photoconductor surface, the charge roller having an inner conductive layer comprising a conductive polymer material loaded with a supplemental conducting agent and an outer conductive layer comprising the conductive polymer material substantially free of the supplemental conducting agent,
- wherein the conductive polymer material includes an ionically conductive material and the supplemental conducting agent includes an electronic conduction agent such that the inner conductive layer includes the ionically conductive material and the electronic conduction agent, and the outer conductive layer includes the ionically conductive material and is substantially free of the electronic conduction agent.
A method of making a charge roller for charging an image transfer surface in an image transfer device, the method comprising:
- covering an outer periphery of a support member with a first conductive layer, the first conductive layer comprising a conductive polymer and a supplemental conducting agent mixed in the conductive polymer;
- and
- covering an outer periphery of the first conductive layer with a second conductive layer, the second conductive layer comprising the conductive polymer,
- wherein the conductive polymer includes an ionically conductive material and the supplemental conducting agent includes an electronic conduction agent such that the first conductive layer includes the ionically conductive material and the electronic conduction agent, and the second conductive layer includes the ionically conductive material and is substantially free of the electronic conduction agent.
The method of 25, wherein covering an outer periphery of the first conducive layer with a second conductive layer comprises dip coating the first conductive layer with the conductive polymer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.